Cupid IS Stupid
by Sybil Marvin
Summary: 30 year old Orihime is still single, and one day, she met her ideal man; Grimmjow, on a flight to Tokyo. On the same day, she ran into another man; Ichigo, who's working as a hired lover. Which man will she fall for? AU.


**Author's Note : **Hi, everyone! I'm entering this fic for **The Ultimate Hali Challenge of 2010**, hence the word count at the bottom. Basically, this story is about Orihime, who's 30 years old. She's very successful at work but she's single. One day, on a flight to Tokyo, she met a handsome man; Grimmjow, whom she soon has a crush on. Later that night, she ran into another man; Kurosaki Ichigo who is a hired lover. So she'll ask for Ichigo's help in order to gain attention from Grimmjow. Will she end up with the man of her dream or will she fell in love with the hired lover instead? XD This story is inspired by a Korean drama; **Dalja's Spring**. If I wanted a younger boyfriend, I'd like it to be **Choi Minho **of **SHINee**. *squeal*

I also decided to write this story in a very different style. I will have Orihime write in her diary at the end of every chapter, kind of her reflection on what happened throughout the day. Though the story will be written in past-tense, thoughts and Orihime's writing will be in present-tense, hope you guys won't get confused by that. This is an AU fic, so I have to warn you that the characters in this story is a bit different that the way they are in the manga.

Anyway, I hope everyone who reads this enjoy this story. And review, please, 'cause I would like to know whether I should continue this story, or started writing something else for the challenge, because it would be impossible for me to complete a 50,000 fic without support from you lovely readers out there! That's all, enjoy the story! =)

**Rating : M** (mainly for adult-themed humor, Orihime's perverted thoughts, and cursing. Whether I'll actually write lemon, that is yet to be decided)

**Disclaimer : **I don't own Bleach.

* * *

_They say a woman's life won't be complete until she has found herself a man. I grew up believing just that. So all throughout my college years, I studied hard to ensure I'll get a good job and find a rich man, fall madly in love with him, get married and live happily ever after. A pretty simple goal, huh?_

_When I graduated from college, I landed a job at a home shopping channel as an assistant. Not much of a job, I know, but that didn't matter at all to me as long as the pay is enough for me to buy decent foods and decent clothes. After all, this is only temporary, I told myself, and it'll give me the perfect opportunity to find that handsome, rich man I was looking for._

_It was pretty crazy when I first started. Everyone at work was always so stressed out, they were always in a hurry and my boss wouldn't accept any mistakes. However, the biggest obstacle I stumble upon was a self-proclaimed diva by the name of Neliel Tu Oderschvank. She's a TV presenter and she works for my company, and she always give me a hard time. She refuses the clothes our stylist set up for her, she demands for food and drinks that cost as much as my monthly groceries and more often than not, I wish I could strangle her right there and then. _

_But despite all of that, I still work at the same company, only I've been promoted to Managing Director now. And so is she. In fact, she's become our company's top presenter. She still gives me a hard time though. But I've grown so much wiser, I've adapted very well to my job and I love my job so much, which is not a very good thing. I've focused so much of my time and my energy to my job that I simply have no time left to date._

_My name is Inoue Orihime, I am 30 years old and single. I'm working as a Managing Director, I own an apartment in Karakura and this is the story of my life…_

:

:

:

:

:

The alarm clock on the side table rang continuously. Its deafening sound echoed inside the small apartment. A head covered with luscious auburn locks popped from under the cover. With her eyes still closed, she wiped traces of saliva on the corner of her lips with her right hand, while her left hand shot up and started to feel around for the alarm clock.

When her hand caught hold of the unmistakably square shape of the alarm clock, she pushed the snooze button.

"Five minutes more…" she mumbled lazily into her blanket.

The figure went still for a few seconds but then she sat bolt upright in her bed. She grabbed the alarm clock and the moment her mind registered the time it displayed; 4.30 a.m., she quickly threw herself out of bed, screaming, "Arghh!! I'm late!"

She grabbed her towel and ran into the bathroom. Seconds later, a rush of water can be heard from inside the bathroom as she took her quick shower. Seconds later, she emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped firmly around her body, showing off her ample bosom. She put on her underwear's before slipping on a pink blouse and a pair of black slacks.

She grabbed a huge mountain of clothing and threw them on her bed. Then she fished out a large luggage bag from under her bed and hoisted it up the bed. She quickly opened the luggage and jammed the heap of clothes on her bed into it before zipping it tight. _There! Who said packing would take you forever to do?_

She dashed towards her dressing table, grabbed a tube of mascara and curled her already curly, thick eyelashes, applied red lipstick on her plump lips, before finishing off with blusher on her cheeks. She stared into the mirror, ruffled her long and curly auburn hair as she pouted her lips. Satisfied with the image she saw staring back at her, she gathered the makeup scattered on the dressing table and stuffed them into the makeup bag. With her hand holding the makeup bag, she ran once again into the bathroom and came back with her toothbrush, toothpaste and facial cleanser.

She made her way towards her back, unzipped it and shoved everything she was holding into it. "Which idiot decided that the meeting should be held at 8.00?" she muttered as she did so.

After glancing around one last time to make sure she didn't miss anything, she grabbed a black jacket, her handbag and hauled her enormous luggage bag out of her apartment. She paused for a moment at the door as she slipped on a pair of black heels, locked the door, and then stormed towards the lift.

She tapped her right foot impatiently against the lift's steel floor as it went down in an agonizingly slow pace. The minute it stopped and the door open she charged out. Hauling her heavy bag, she made her way out of the building, and to her relief, her company car was already parked on the roadside. She peered inside and saw the driver, fast asleep with his feet resting on the dashboard. She knocked on the driver's window for a few times before his eyes fluttered open.

She pointed her finger towards the bonnet, signaling him to open it. He nodded and immediately got out of the car. He jogged towards the back of the car, unlocked it and helped her put her bag inside. He slammed it shut once the bag was put in place.

"Good morning, Orihime-chan," the blond man greeted her as he flashed her a wide grin, revealing a set of unusually large teeth.

Orihime bowed respectfully at him, "Good morning, Hirako-kun."

"Are you ready to leave now?"

"Yes, yes! Please hurry or I'll miss my flight. I'm taking the 6 o'clock flight, so I need to check in before 5.30."

"Then, let's go, Orihime-chan."

The two got in the car. The driver, Hirako Shinji, turned on the ignition and the car sped off towards the airport.

* * * * *

She made it to the airport in just in time. She checked in, and thirty minutes later she was already on the plane. She plopped in her seat – it was next to the window, thankfully – and prepared to take a nap. That was what she usually did whenever she was on an early morning flight – _sleep_.

She dozed off, lost in her world of aliens and little blue men, oblivious to the happenings around her. She dreamt of aliens invading the plane she was on. She wanted to greet them when one of them grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

"Arghh! If you kidnap me, please don't install microchip in my brain!" she shouted, her eyes were now wide open.

Slowly, the realization dawned in. There were no aliens. It was just a dream. The hands holding her did not belong to a creature from outer space, but to the man sitting next to her. He was staring at her as if _she_ was the alien. She felt as if his intense blue eyes – they matched his teal hair beautifully – pierced into her, his mouth gaping, obviously shocked by her outburst earlier. Embarrassed, she ruffled her hair and flashed him an awkward smile. She could see other curious pair of eyes staring at her but she ignored them.

The blue-haired man cleared his throat, "I'm sorry I woke you up, but the stewardess wants to know what you would like to have for breakfast."

He gestured at the stewardess standing next to their seats. The beautiful woman smiled warmly at her, waiting patiently for her order.

She forced a nervous laugh, "Can I have the chicken sandwich, please?"

"Okay. I'll be right back with your order, Miss."

The stewardess grabbed two boxes of chicken sandwich, one for Orihime, and another one for the man beside her.

"Would you like to have coffee or tea, sir?"

"Plain coffee, please."

"Miss?"

"Tea, please."

The stewardess placed their drinks on their tables. They thanked her, and she went on to serve other passengers.

Orihime opened the box and began munching quietly on her sandwich. She glanced at the blue-haired man through the corner of her eyes. She took in his long, muscular form, his firm jaw, and his striking blue eyes. Her gaze then lingered on his expensive looking business suit. _He must be rich_, she thought.

"Is there something you need from me?"

Startled, she looked up and found herself gazing directly into his deep blue eyes. "N-no."

"Are you sure? 'Cause if you do, just ask."

_Is he mocking me?_

"No, I'm fine."

A pregnant pause passed between them. Then, suddenly, he chuckled. She looked up at him questioningly.

"You're funny," he told her.

She chose not to answer that.

"I never saw someone woke up then started screaming about microchips!" he continued, still chuckling.

"Well, congratulations! Today's your first," she retorted, feeling a little offended.

He fought hard to stop his laughing fit. "I'm sorry," he said to her. "I guess I just find it quite amusing."

"Good for you."

"Please don't be mad. Okay, as an apology, let me introduce myself," he said, extending his right hand at her.

She looked warily at him. He smiled, "Come on. I don't bite."

She held out her right hand. He caught it in his strong grip and shook it lightly. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." he said.

She stared up at him, unsure of what to say, and then _she_ started laughing. "Grimmjow what? How do you spell _that_?"

He let go of her hand, "Yeah, try spelling it your whole life. Even I got it wrong sometimes."

"I can imagine."

"You haven't told me your name though."

"Oh, sorry. I'm Inoue Orihime."

"Wow. Your name sure is a lot easier than mine to spell."

They laughed at his remark. _This is the first time I met a good company on the plane_, Orihime mused.

"Do you travel a lot?" he asked.

"Not really. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. It's just that you seemed to sleep so soundly just now, as if you're in a comfortable bed."

"I guess I'm just tired."

"Late night, huh?"

_Why do I get the feeling he's thinking something dirty? Well, researches show the male species spend a majority of their time on thinking dirty, anyway. Boys will be boys…_

"I had to pull an all-nighter, preparing for my meeting this morning." _Why am I explaining this to him?_

"I see."

_He has such a nice, deep baritone voice… So sexy… Oh, what am I thinking?_

She opened her mouth to say something, but then a voice boomed through the speaker, announcing their arrival at Tokyo, interrupting her. They fell silent as the plane landed safely. They queued up patiently with the other passengers. Orihime dashed out of the airplane, afraid of being late, said her goodbye to the stranger she'd just met and went straight ahead to the luggage collection area. He headed for a separate direction since he didn't bring along any luggage.

So Orihime began her day, thinking, _I've just met a perfect man whom I'll never meet again_. _And I don't even have his number!_

* * * * *

Her meeting went smoothly. The company she had a meeting with agreed to advertise their products on their channel. She couldn't wait to get back to Karakura and report the good news to her boss. If all goes well, she might be getting a raise by the end of the year. That was why she decided to go shopping for the night and buy something nice to reward herself with.

She spent hours circling inside the huge mall. Everything looked so beautiful to her and how she wished she could buy them all. After much deliberation, she decided to buy a lovely yellow dress. _I can wear them for the office dinner next week_, she thought, as she brought it over to the counter and made her payment. Immensely satisfied, she stepped out of the store, grinning widely.

It's time to return to the hotel and get some sleep, she thought, blissfully unaware that a few feet away from where she was standing someone was running frantically from a group of men chasing him. She took out her cellphone, intending to call her best friend back home, Arisawa Tatsuki.

She dialed Tatsuki's number and was about to bring the cellphone to her ears when someone crashed into her. She screamed, losing balance and was sent sprawling on the mall's cold marble floor. Her cellphone flew out of her hand and fell on the floor. She watched with horror as it shattered when it made contact with the hard surface.

Slightly dazed, she barely caught sight of the orange-haired man who was responsible for breaking her phone. Her eyes went wide immediately when she saw him got up and began sprinting away from her. _I'm not going to let you get away with this_, she thought, and screamed.

"Hey!"

Startled, he looked back at her. Then he clasped his hands together in front of him, as if he was apologizing to her. Then he turned around and started running again.

"Come back here!" she called out to him, annoyed.

But the man paid no heed whatsoever to her call. She grabbed her broken phone, gathered her handbag and the shopping bag, got up then smoothed the wrinkles on her blouse. Then she began trying to turn on her phone, but failed. It was definitely broken. _I'll have him pay for this_, she decided, and began running after him, still unaware of the men following them.

She noticed a blob of orange hair, and realized he was making his way out of the mall. She quickened her steps, forcing through crowds of people. She made her way out of the gigantic building, and ran on the streets. He saw him disappeared into a dark alley, and without thinking, she followed him.

It was pretty dark in the alley. The old street lamps did little to illuminate the darkness clouding the area. The orange-haired man was nowhere to be found but she was very sure that he was in that alley.

"Hey! Come out! I know you're here!" she called out into the darkness.

There was no answer. She let a few seconds passed before calling out again. Then he appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her. Surprised, she was about to scream, but he quickly covered her mouth with his large hand.

"Don't say anything, or they'll find out we're here."

She tried to wriggle free but his strong arms held her. "Okay, okay. I will be quiet," she mumbled into his palm.

He gave her a stern look before releasing his hand slowly.

"You ruined my cellphone," she said as soon as he freed her mouth.

"I'm sorry. I didn't notice you were standing there."

"I don't care. I just want you to pay for the repairing cost."

"Fine. Just give me a call later and tell me how much I should pay."

"How can I~"

Her voice trailed of, as the men chasing the orange-haired stranger showed up around the corner.

"Shit!" he cursed.

"Who are they?"

"I'll explain later," he told her, and began running away.

She stood there, puzzled.

"What are you doing?" she heard him say, and soon enough, he was already by her side. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her.

"No," she protested.

"They'll kill you."

"Why would they? I have nothing to do with them. Or with you, for that matter."

"They saw you with me. Of course they will think you're with me. And they will not hesitate to kill anyone who might know me."

_What if they'll really kill me? What if I'll die a virgin? Arrghh!_

Horrible images popped inside her head, as she imagined the ways they could kill her. "No, I can't die yet!"

"Then let's run!"

So she ran with him, his hand still holding her wrist. They made their way out of the dark alley and ran out on the street. Her feet hurt from all the running, and wearing high heels certainly didn't help. She felt like they had been running forever and was about to give up when they finally reached another alley, this one was almost as dark as the other one.

He quickly pulled her into the alley, and pushed her against the wall.

"Ow!" she winced in pain, having hit her head against the hard brick. She opened her mouth to scold him but they heard footsteps approaching.

"Be still," he warned her.

"Okay," she hissed.

The voices were louder now, and they could see shadows moving. Moments later, the men passed the alley, as the stranger quickly covered her body with his and buried his face in her hair, so it would appear as if they were kissing to the men chasing them.

Startled, her eyes went wide and she wanted to protest but she knew their pursuers was right there in the alley, so she forced herself to stay absolutely still.

The voices lingered, and she began thinking, _they're not going to fall for our act_. But she was wrong, because minutes later, they left. She let out a relieved sight as she heard their footsteps walking further away from them.

His body was still pinning her against the wall. She was having trouble to breathe, and her heart was beating faster by the seconds. _I shouldn't have run a lot at this age of mine_, she thought. She looked up and found herself staring at his lips. Not one to date around, this was the first time she had ever been that close to a man. _I never knew a man's lips can look so tempting_, she mused, her gaze fixated on that part of his body. Her heart was now beating at a much quicker rate, and slowly, she felt her face heating.

She waited uneasily for a few moment, wanted to be sure that their pursuers were already gone, then she began pushing him away. His scent was starting to suffocate her, making her dizzy, and she was relieved when he released his hold on her.

"Are they gone?" she whispered warily.

He peered into the main street, and when he returned, she noticed the calm expression on his face. "They're gone," he assured her.

"Good," she muttered, relief flowed inside her.

He jogged over to her side. Then he started to scrutinize her face under the dim lighting. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine."

"Are you sure? 'Cause you seem a little red, and you're out of breath."

"No I'm not."

He stared at her. Then he smirked, "Were you imagining something naughty?"

"What?"

"Well, we were in a very compromising situation just now, so it's normal for you to start picturing some dirty scenes," he teased, raising an eyebrow.

An image of him kissing her hard, as he pinned her against the wall popped up inside her head. Her right leg was wrapped tightly around his waist, and his hand was creeping up her thigh, caressing it softly… _No!_

_Why am I imagining something like that?_

"Don't be stupid," she retorted, fighting hard to keep her composure.

His gaze lingered a while on her face. Then, he shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. I don't care," he said.

_So do I_, she thought.

"Anyway, nice to meet you, Madam. I better get going while the coast is clear," he announced, and started to leave, waving his hand at her.

"Wait! Do you think I'll just let you get away? You ruined my phone, made me run around the city from those thugs whom I had absolutely no business with. My feet are hurting so bad right now. And why are you calling me Madam? Do I look _that_ old to you?"

He remained still, surprised at her sudden outburst. He waited for a few seconds before he responded to her.

"My bad," he said as he approached her slowly.

Her lips remained shut.

"I'll pay for your phone. You can give me a call to this number," he said calmly as he fished for his business card inside his jacket. He handed it over to her.

She took the card halfheartedly. "Kurosaki Ichigo. Hired lover? Give me a call whenever you need some company?" she read.

She turned her gaze towards him.

Ignoring the weird look she gave him, he explained, "It's only temporary. I provide professional services for women who need a lover. I'll date them, and I charge based on the hours I spent with them."

"You're unbelievable."

"You'll be surprised at the number of single and lonely women out there. I'm just helping to make this world a better place for them."

"Don't say it as if it's for the sake of the world's peace."

"But I am doing something good."

"You're just manipulating those women." She slipped his card into her handbag. "I'll give you a call once my cellphone is repaired."

"You can also call me whenever you're lonely."

"I won't. I'm happily dating someone."

He laughed. "Am I allowed to leave now?"

She shot him an annoyed look. "Go."

"You know, you shouldn't be so uptight or your boyfriend will run away."

"I can take care of myself, thank you."

He shook his head. "By the way, I still don't know your name."

She pretended not to hear him.

"I might not recognize who you are when you call me for your cellphone's payment if I don't know your name. After all, I met a lot of women in one day. Don't blame me if you ended up having to pay for the repairing cost yourself."

He turned and pretended to start walking away.

"Wait! It's Inoue Orihime!"

The corner of his lips twitched upward, forming a small smile. He turned around. "Nice to meet you, Madam Inoue Orihime."

"Just call me Inoue. And stop adding _madam_ to my name."

"I won't. Goodbye."

He walked away. This time, he was leaving for real. She watched him disappeared into the main street. Sighing, she began to make her way out of the alley, slinging her handbag and the shopping bag containing her new dress over her shoulder. _What an adventurous night_, she thought, yawning. _Time to get some rest. Having too much excitement in one day is bad for someone at my age_.

:

:

:

:

:

_Dear Diary,_

_This is my first entry after so long. Maybe it was because I have nothing interesting to write about, but maybe it was just because I focused too much on my work._

_As I sit in my hotel room right now, I realized how different I've become. When I was 20, I used to know how to enjoy life. As I grow older, my work became my priority. I did well with my job, but it took away so many things from me. When I ran on the streets of Tokyo tonight, I felt so carefree. It was tiring, and my ankles were bleeding, but I experienced some kind of release afterwards. _

_And I am growing more and more sensitive about my age. I enjoy my single life but people around me have started pressuring me to get married. Why can't they see that I'm just content with living my life the way it is? Why does a woman social status have to be defined by the quality of man she snagged? What an unfair world I'm living in…_

_Speaking of man, I actually met not one, but two men today. They have the strangest hair colors. One of them has blue hair, while the other is orange! Even my hair doesn't stick out like theirs! But the blue-haired man looked so handsome. He's the most perfect man I've ever met! He seemed like a gentleman, he appeared to be rich, and he is so sexy! If only I had gotten his number… My Prince Charming! _

_The other man, the orange-haired man was the exact opposite. He was brash, though he looks quite good as well. And who would work as a hired boyfriend anyway? Pfft! And who would be desperate enough to actually look for a hired lover? Most certainly not me. I wouldn't do something like that._

_I'm yawning again, so I guess it's time for me to call it a night. Today had been totally crazy, and I am beat. Goodnight…_

**WORDS : 4121**


End file.
